A Hand To Hold
by shadow243ali
Summary: She doesn’t want him to do this on his own so she reaches up and laces her fingers through his, not caring how stupid an action it might be. Set during The Stolen Earth


**AN: I had a random idea after seeing The Stolen Earth, and somehow I ended up writing this...I would say more but I'm slightly surprised by how it ended up.**

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"Not now…I came all this way."

The words came out unintentionally, but she can't help it. This can't happen. Not now. Not after she travelled all this way to find him. She watches him raise his hand, knowing even without having to look that the process is showing signs of beginning, "It's starting."

He doesn't have to say, not for her benefit. She's been through this once before and she doesn't think she can handle watching from the sidelines as he does it again. She stares at his hand, transfixed. He can't do this on his own. She doesn't want him to do this on his own so she reaches up and laces her fingers through his, not caring how stupid an action it might be.

"And I'll be here with you…"

He stares at her, unsure of what she's going on about. It isn't until her grip on his hand tightens that he understands, "No, Rose…" Another slice of pain shoots through him as he somehow manages to say, "Rose…you can't."

"I'm not letting you do this on your own. I came so far and if you're about to change then I'm going to be right her holding your hand."

"Rose, you have no idea what could happen-" interrupts Jack, willing her to see the dangers of what she is about to do, "It's too dangerous."

"You could burn…" The Doctor breaths out, remembering the cascade of light, "I don't want you to burn."

"I won't"

"Rose I can't let you…" He tries to break free of her hold, begging Jack to take her away from him before he hurts her. He doesn't know what could happen to her if she held on, but he knows what it does to him. Feeling the pain as it burns him from the inside out is bad enough for him. He doesn't want that to happen to her too.

"Doctor…" She looks him the eyes and he knows in that moment, in that look that she's not going to let go, "I'm not leaving you."

He knows sadly that she won't.

He looks at his hand again. The wisps of gold are becoming more predominant. He knows he needs to stand up. The last time he regenerated lying down on the ground, he ended up with stomachache for a week and he has no intention of going through that again. He grabs a hold of the console with his free hand, trying to push himself but Rose helps him up with the other.

She won't let go so he asks her once last time, "Rose…please let go. I don't want you to get hurt…"

"I'm staying right here…and you can't stop me!" She gives him a weak smile, as the tears fall down her face.

He can't hold it back any longer and the golden light pours out of him. It burns and it brings tears to his eyes but they don't fall. The light burns them too. He looks over to Rose, but the golden light swarms his vision.

His grip tightens around her hand, a silent request asking if she's alright and he's relieved when he feels her squeeze back.

Rose bites back a shout as the light swarms around her hand. It's a strange yet painful sensation but she won't let go. She needs to be here. She feels him squeeze her hand and almost smiles. He's concerned about her despite how much pain he must be in. She squeezes back in reassurance despite the golden light going up her arm.

She closes her eyes willing the pain to dissapear and when she opens them again, it's gone.

She surrounded by the light now, but it doesn't hurt. Not anymore.

She looks over to Jack and Donna. They're staring at her shocked and she almost wants to ask them what's wrong, but she feels she already knows.

It had felt so familiar. The golden light. The power. She could stop it. She could stop him from regenerating.

She closed her eyes, letting the power wash over her, and wished for him to stay in the same form. She wished him to be healed but she doesn't want him to change. She opened her eyes again, the golden light receding back down her arms but she can still feel it behind her eyes.

It still was swarming around him; bristling out and he couldn't help but notice that he wasn't burning. There was no pain…why? He looked down at his unclenched golden hand noticing the light was decreasing…but it couldn't be.

Why wasn't he changing?

He should be regenerating. If he wasn't regenerating then there was something wrong. The only way to stop a regeneration from occurring was to opt to die but he didn't want to die…

The light seeped back into him and he sank down to his knees, gasping. The pain…it was gone. His hand gripped Rose's and he looked over at her, wondering if she was alright. He didn't expect for the golden light to be streaming out of her eyes.

"Rose?" He brought his hand up to her cheek, moving her head slightly to stare into her eyes, "Rose, let it go."

"I want you safe…" Her voice was echoing words he had heard so long ago. She was burning and it was his entire fault, "My Doctor."

"Rose, I'm fine. Now, let the power go…"

"It doesn't hurt this time." He was surprised by this. The time vortex burned anyone who touched it. He should know that more than most. It killed him once and if she doesn't let go soon, it'll kill her too.

"What does she mean this time?" Donna commented, standing shocked after what she had just seen, "What the hell is that light?"

"It's the time vortex." Commented Jack, his eyes never leaving the blonde he hadn't seen in so long, "It's what's inside the Tardis. Powerful and-"

"Deadly." The Doctor finished, causing Donna's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Well, can't you stop it? Get it out of her."

He didn't bother answer back, returning his gaze to the companion he had thought he had lost forever, "Rose, I need you to let it go. You travelled so far; across the universes in fact, what a trip? I don't want to lose you now so please let it the power go for me."

She closed her eyes, a single tear trickling down her face. Their entwined hands began to glow gold as the power of the time vortex coursed back up his veins leaving his eyes momentarily golden. It was gone as soon as it had appeared and when Rose opened her eyes, there was no trace of it left in her now brown ones.

"What happened?" She asked, a hand reaching up to his face, "You didn't regenerate."

He shook his head, "No, not this time."

"But…" Her face scrunched in confusion, "But how?"

He grinned, a smile appearing on his face, "I sang a song."

"Oh God help us if you start singing," Donna commented from behind, turning to Jack, "I heard him singing in the shower once. He ended up breaking the mirror in the bathroom. He came out limping because he cut his foot on it."

"Oi! My singing is not that bad!" he protested.

Donna rolled her eyes, "You keep telling yourself that sunshine."

"And what about you?"

Her face was a mask of pure shock, "What about me?"

"Need I mention your singing escapade on the planet, Pineketta. We ended up running half a mile after you decided to burst out into song."

Donna rolled her eyes, "I was drunk and it was a karaoke bar."

"It wasn't a karaoke bar. It was a-"

She threw him a look and the Doctor suddenly found himself go speechless. He knew that look and that look usually ended with him being slapped. He didn't enjoy being slapped, "Oh you can shut up!"

"Right, I'm all about drunkly singing, preferably naked," commented Jack, winking, "But we do have a world to save from the Daleks. Oh may I say, nice to see you Rose. Long time no see."

"You too...I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were trapped in a parallel world." He remembered the Doctor's words from so long ago.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I got out."

"I got brought back." He raised his eyebrows. He didn't mention she had been the one to bring him back; knowing the Doctor probably had a good reason for not telling it was her doing in the first place.

As silence passed through the room, none could deny the awkwardness of the situation they were in so they took a moment to relish in the peace they knew was soon to be destroyed. They were after all going to save the world.

A few minutes passed, with stolen glances and unasked questions before Donna interrupted, "So are we going to get up and save the world from Mr Psychotic Sociopath or are we just gonna sit here reuniting?"

"Right then." The Doctor nodded his head as he shared a grin with the trio, "Allonsy!"

**AN: It got slightly random, I do realise that...I mean I'm not even sure why I brought up a karaoke bar. Anyway review if you liked it...**


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